Towel-rack.



No. 750,600. l PATBNTED APR. ze, 1904. s. A. A. STEN'BBRG.

TOWEL RACK.

APPLIoA'rIoN Hmm nu 2e, 190s.

2 SHEETS-snm 1..

I0 IODEL.

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TN: Nckms PETERS ce, Pnmauwo.. w'xsumcncm D, c

PATENTED APR. 26.1904.

S. A. A. STENBERG.

TOWEL RACK.. APPLICATION EVILED MAY 26, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' No MODEL.

No. 758,600. i Patented Aprii 2e, 1904. I

UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

SVEN A. ALLAN STENBERG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY-NINE ONE-HUNDREDIHS TO WILLIAM E. CUMBACK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. Y

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. '7 58,600, dated April 26,V 1904. Application `filed May 26, 1902i. Serial No. 158,831. (No model.)

T all whim@ it MC1/7J @0W/'WW trated in the accompanying drawings, in

Be it known that I, SVEN A. ALLAN rSTEN- which similar characters of reference denote 50 BERG, a subject of the King of Sweden, and corresponding parts in all the views.

Norway, and a resident of San Francisco, .in Figure 1 is a view in perspective representthe county of San Francisco and State of Caliing my improved towel-rack as attached or fornia, have invented a new and Improved secured to a wall or other permanent support, Y Towel-Rack, of which the following is a full, said View showing 'the position of the towel 55 clear, and exact description. and the parts or elements of the rack at the rl`his invention relates to towel-racks; and beginning of operations in the use of the Io it consists, substantially, in the improve-r towel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of my imments hereinafter particularly describedand proved towel-rack in front elevation, showclaimed. ing theV towel as wound upon the inner and 60 The invention has for its principal object to lowermost of the two rollers employed after provide improved and effective devices or having been drawn from the uppermost I5 means wherebyatowel of considerable length roller in the use of the towel from time to may be conveniently supported in position for time in the ordinary way. Fig. 3 is. a side use without utilizing any greater amount of view of one of the bracketsemployed for sup- 65 space than is ordinarily required for the acporting the movable rollers of my improved commodation of given lengths or portions towel-rack, together with the yoke for both zo thereof and also to provide means whereby supporting and effecting the reversal of posoiled portions of the towel may be'displaced sition of the motion transmitting devices, and permanently taken up proportionately as .through the-medium of which portions of the -70 clean or fresh portions thereof are caused to towel are caused to be successively wound be drawn or paid out by the person or perupon one of the rollers therefor as drawn or sons using the same. y paid out from the othery roller. Fig. 4 is a A further object is to provide a towel-rack view in perspective showing in segregated which is thoroughly reliable in the performform the two parts` employed at one end of 7 5 ance of the functions thereof and one which each of the rollers, whereby (in conjunction is composed of few parts, which are simple with the band or ieXible connection between both in their construction and organization, the two) motion imparted to one roller is comvbesides being comparatively cheap. to manumunicated to the other. Fig. 5 is a detail facture. u view in elevation representing a modification 8o A further object of the invention is to proin the movable connections between the rollers vide means whereby when all the available for the towel. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing 3 5 surface portions of the towel have become the ends ofthe towel as supported by the two soiled or used up the towel may be readily rollers-therefor. Fig. 7 isa view of the right- .removed in compact form and substituted by handzendof the rack. Fig. Sis a side view 8 5 .another in its stead and also to provide means of oneiofthe brackets, and Fig. 9 is a side whereby the application ofnew or clean towels view of l the other bracket minus the reversto operative position within the rack may be ing-yoke for the motion-transmitting devices effected with ease and facility. for the rollers.

A still further object is to provide a towel- Before proceeding with a more detailed de- 9o rack of the character referred to having cerscription it maybe stated that incarrying my tain advantages and conveniences not present invention into effect I provide, preferably,

with many lformer devices hitherto devised two brackets adapted for attachment to a wall with like ends in view. or other permanent structure, said lbrackets The above and additional objects areateach being of special construction and adapted ftained by means substantially such as are illusalso to receive journals or spindles of the rollers to which the two ends of the towel are attached. The said rollers are preferably but two in number, one being' elevated above ther other and the two being in different vertical planes, as and for the purpose to be hereinafter fully explained. The towel may be of any length desired, and the ends thereof are attached to the rollers, and the journals or spindles at one end of the latter are provided with motion-transmitting devices of special construction or embodiment, it being through the medium of such devices that the towel is caused to be wound upon one roller as portionsv thereof are drawn from the other roller. 1 also employ specially-constructed devices or means for shifting the position of the said motion-transmitting devices when it is desired to start operations anew after properly placing a fresh or clean towel in position within or upon the rack.

Specific reference being had to the several parts by the designating characters marked thereon, 1, Figs. 1, 2, and 9, represents one of two brackets constituting elements or parts of my improved towelrack, which bracket, as will be observed, is made up of a flat plate 2, provided at the ends thereof with openings for the insertion of screws 3, by which the bracket may be secured in position to a wall or other permanent structure or support. Projecting outwardly from said plate at right angles thereto is an arm or member 4, which is curved or extended upwardly at about the middle portion thereof, as shown, the approximately horizontal branch 5 of this arm having in its upper edge a vertical notch 6 and the approximately verti cal branch 7 thereof having also in its upper edge a similar vertical notch 8. The other bracket employed is indicated at 9 and is likewise made up of a similar plate 10, having holes at the ends thereof for passage of the screws l1, which enter the wall or similar structure.Y This plate 10 also has projecting therefrom substantially at right angles an arm or member 12, curved or extended upwardly, as shown; but the said arm differs in construction from the arm 4 of the other bracket referred to in that the same is formed with slots 13 and 14, separated from each other and the edges of each of which are inclined from a vertical, the two slots alining with each other. Intermediate of the said slots the arm or member 12 is formed with an opening 15, in which is fitted a pin 16, which is passed through a central opening in a yoke 17, (see Fig. 3,) said yoke being capable of being turned on said pin and being formed at each end thereof with a notch 18, designed to be entered by the end 19 of a bolt 20, which is held in an opening in a lug 21 on the arm by means of a spring 21, said spring normally forcing said pin downwardly or inwardly. The yoke 17 is formed near each end thereof with a circular opening22, in each of which is fitted a ther on.

circular member 23, (see Fig. 4,) formed at its inner end with a squared recess 24, each of said` members being also formed or provided at the inner end thereof with a head or flange 25 and having a longitudinal key 26 at one side thereof. Removably fitting upon the said members 23 are the drums or disks 27 and 28, each formed with an opening 28", in the wall of which is a groove or way 28b for receiving the said key 26, whereby each of said members and its drum or disk are caused to rotate together, as will be explained far- As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, two rollers 29 and 30 are employed for the towel 31, said towel being of any length desired and having the ends thereof attached to the rollers in any suitable manner, all but the hanging portions of the towel being wound up on one or the other of the rollers or portions thereof being carried by each roller, according to the extent to which the towel may have been used. As shown in Fig. 1, the rollers are in different vertical planes and at different elevations, thus bringing the uppermost one forwardly of the other, and which causes the hangingl portions of the towel to be entirely free and separated from each other and prevents soiled parts thereof from coming into contact with the clean or unsoiled parts. Said rollers are provided at one end thereof with journals or spindles 32, which are seated lin the notches 6 and 8 of the arm of the bracket 1, while at the other end said rollers are provided with squared journals or spindles 33, the ends of which enter or are fitted in the squared recesses 24 in the inner ends of the members 23, it being understood that the journals or spindles 33 are first passed through the slots 13 and 14 in the arm l2 of the bracket 9, said slots being of sufeient width to permit the said journals or spindles to turn therein freely. If desired, a washer may be employed on the journals or spindles 32,- inside the arm 4, to prevent the members 23 from displacement from the journals 33, due to endwise slipping of the rollers in the use of the device; but this is not absolutely necessary.

It will be understood from the construction and organization of the elements or parts of my improved rack that the rollers 29 and 30 are readily removable from the brackets when necessary and that the said journals or spindles 33 may at the same time be easily disconnected or slipped out of the recesses in the said members 23.

In order that motion may be transmitted from one roller to the other-say from the roller 29 to the roller 30-1 provide a fiexible band 35 of equal length to that of the towel and one end of which is secured to the periphery of the drum 28, after which the said band is coiled or wound upon said drum and finally passed inwardly or beneath the drum 27 and brought outwardly overtheperi'phery of the latter drum, the other end of the band being secured in like-.manner to this-drum. It will be understood that at the beginning of operations the greater part of the length of the towel is coiled or wound upon the-upper and forwardly-projecting roller 29, while a corresponding portion of the band 35 will be similarly coiled upon the said drum 28, as already explained, and now when any proportion of the length of the towel is drawn from the roller 29 it is apparent that the motion-transmitting devices describedwill cause the roller 30 to move at a rate of speed relative to said roller 29 so that a substantially equal proportion of length of the towel will be caused to be wound upon the said roller 30. After the full length of the towel has thus beericausedto be transferred from one roller to the other the roller 29, (which is now bare,) as well as the roller 30, (which now has coiled or -wound thereon approximately the full length of soiled toweL) are removed from the supporting-brackets therefor, after which the pin 20 is withdrawn from the notch 18 in the engaged end of the yoke 17, and said yoke is turned to cause the notch 18 in the other end of said yoke to be similarly engaged by said pin, andon thus operating the yoke it is apparent that the' friction of the motion-transmitting devices is reversed to bring the same to vsubstantially the same relation as they occupied at first, whereupon other rollers may be inserted in place in the brackets and upon one of which a fresh or clean towel has been placed, as in tle first instance referred to. It will be understood that convenient lengths of the toweling are always left hanging for use, as in the case of the ordinary endless hanging towels, as shown, f or instance, in Fig. 1. After removing the roller having the soiled towel wound up thereon the latter is in convenient and compact form to be sent to the laundry to be cleansed. y Y

I desire to add that instead of employing the motion-transmitting devices above described I may employ other forms'of such devicesas, for instance, the intermeshing gear-wheels 88 and 40, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Said wheels may be made of equal or different sizes, as desired, according as it may be the wish to have a difference in speed of one roller over the other. The construction and organization of the parts or elements first described, however, is that preferably resorted to in practice; but in either case I am not limited to the precise details herein shown, since departure therefrom may be made coming within the scope of my invention. In the use of the said gear-wheels it will be understood that members 41, corresponding to the members 23, may be employed, the keys 26 thereon, however, as well as the drums 27 and 28 and band 35, being dispensed with, of course. I preferably dispose one of the rollers forwardly of and slightly above the other, so as notto have the operative parts of my improved rack eX- tend or project too far beyond the wall or other support, or otherwise I may mount said rollers in substantially the same horizontal plane. Y

Having thus described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A towel -'rack, comprising supportingbrackets, a pair of rollers mounted in the brackets and to which the ends of atowel are adapted to be secured with a portion thereof hanging' from said rollers, and differential gearing between the said rollers, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A towel-rack, comprising supportingbrackets, a pair of rollersmounted in the brackets and to which the ends of a towel are adapted to be secured with a portion thereof hanging from said rollers, and differential gearing between the rollers and comprising a drum on the spindle of each roller, and a band having its ends secured to said drums to wind in opposite directions thereon and upon itself, as set forth.

3. A `towel-rack comprising a pair of rollers, motion-transmitting devices between the f two, and means for reversing the position of said devices.

4. A towel-rack comprising a pair of rollers, motion-transmitting devices between the two, constituted of drums carried at one end of therollers, and a flexible strip fastened at one end to the periphery of one drum and wound upon the same, and thence carried beneath and over the periphery 4of the other drum, with its remaining end secured to the latter, and means for reversing the position of said devices.

5. A towel-rack comprising supportingbrackets, a pair of rollers removably held therein, a towel of suitable length attached at one end to one roller and wound thereupon to the desired extent, leaving free hanging portions, and having its other end carried upwardly and attached to the other roller, motion-transmitting devices between the two rollers, whereby as further portions of the towel are caused to be unwound from the one roller, a corresponding proportion of the same is taken upby the other roller, and means for reversingthe position of said devices.

6. A towel-rack comprising supportingbrackets, a pair of removable rollers mounted therein, having squared journals or spindles at one end, detachable members fitted to said spindles, beyond the contiguous supportingbracket, drums detachably fitted to said members, and a flexible strip fastened at one end to the periphery of one drum and wound upon the same, and thence carried beneath and over the periphery of the other drum, with its remaining end fastened to the latter.

7. A towelrack comprising supportingbrackets, a pair of removable rollers mounted IOO IIO

IIS

therein, having squared journals or spindles at one end, detachable members fitted to said spindles beyond the contiguous supportingbracket, drums detachably fitted to said members, a fiexible strip fastened at one end to the periphery of one drum and wound upon the same, and thence carried beneath and over the periphery of the other drum, with its remaining end fastened thereto, and means for reversing1 the position of said devices on removal of the rollers from the brackets.

8. A towel-rack comprising the brackets l and 9, the first having the vertical notches 6 and 8, and the second the slots 13 and 14, and the intermediate opening l5, the movable rollers spported in said notches and slots, said rollers having squared spindles at one end, the members 23 on said spindles, the drums on said members, the fiexible strip fastened at one end to the periphery of one drum and Wound upon the same, and thence carried beneath and over the periphery of the other drum, with its vremaining end fastened to thc latter, the yoke fitted to said members and mounted to turn on the adjacent bracket, and means on this bracket for engaging said yoke as either end thereof' is. turned uppermost to reverse the position of the said members and the drums and connecting-strip. i

In testimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

SVEN A. ALLAN STENBERG. Witnesses:

- S. A. KLnns,

CARL SrRoEL. 

